crowell



Patented Mar. 28, I899.

L. C. CRUWELL.

BED AND CYLINDER FRINTING MACHINE.

(Application filed July 15, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

jiieaj No. 622,|27. Patented Mar. 28, I899. L. C. CROWELL.

BED AND CYLINDER FRINTING MACHINE.

(Appligntion filed July 15, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

m: NORRIS PErEFiE co PHOTD-LITHQ, WA$HKNGTON n c Unrrnn STATES LATENTOFFICE.

LUTHER C. CROVVELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT HOE,

THEODORE II. MEAD,AND CHARLES IV. CARPENTER, OF SAME PLACE.

BED-AND-CYLINDER PRINTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,127, dated March28, 1899.

Application filed July 15, 1898. Serial No. 686,005. (No model.)

To (0Z5 whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUTHER O. GROWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, county of Kings, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bed-Motions for Bed-and-Cylinder Printing-Machines, fully described and represented in thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawings, formingna part ofthe same. g

This invention relates to certain improvements in bed-and-cylindermachines, and

more particularly to that class of machines in which the printing iseffected by a continuously-rotating cylinder operating in connectionwith a reciprocating bed which is driven at varying speeds.

In an application, Serial No. 679,088, filed April 28, 1898, there isdisclosed, among other things, a printing-machine in which areciprocating bed driven by a variable-speed mechanism is used inconnection with a continuously-revolving cylinder which is driven duringa part of its stroke in synchronism with the bed and during theremainder of its stroke by a constant-speed mechanism, the said machinealso including a peculiar construction of clutch mechanism'which acts atproper times to connect the cylinder to and disconnect it from theconstant-speed mechanism. In the construction set forth in the saidapplication the cylinder is driven in synchronism with the bedduringthat part of the stroke of the bed in which the printing usuallytakes place, whereby it is enabledto have that absolute correspondencein movement to the varying movements of the bed due to thevariable-speed driving mechanism which is necessary to secure perfectregister during the printing period. The cylinderis, however, releasedfrom the bed practically or immediately after the completion of theprinting operation and while the bed is running at a high speed and isby the clutch mechanism referred to connected to the constantspeedmechanism. The cylinder being thus connected to the constant-speedmechanism is revolved thereby at an unvarying rate of speed while thebed completes its stroke, reverses, makes its return stroke, and againreverses, thcse operations being conducted at a speed, which constantlyvaries. The driving mechanism, however, is relieved from the task ofdriving the cylinder during these periods of wide variations in speed,so that it is not subjected to the undue strain which would otherwiseresult, and the machine is enabled to be operated at a very high rate ofspeed.

The present invention relates to the same ty eof machine as that whichforms the subj ect of said former application and has in generall thesame objects in views, but concerns itself more particularly withcertain modifications in the construction of the intermediate clutchdevices,which operate at the proper times to connect the cylinder to anddisconnect it from the constant-speed mechanism.

The invention consists in certain parts, im-

provements, and combinations which will be particularly described inthefollowing specification, and the novel features of which will bepointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of thisspecification, in which like references indicate the same parts, Figure1 is a side view of a bed-and-cylinder machine embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a detail front view illustrating, on an enlarged der and itssliding journal-box in elevation.

In the machine shown in Fig. 1, which illustrates a practical form of myinvention, A indicates the frame, and B the reciprocating bed. The bedis driven by a gear-wheel C,

which engages upper and lower racks on the bed and frame, respectively,and is reciprocated by means of a yoked connecting-rod E, which isconnected to a stud I-I, carried on the crank-wheel D. This constructionforms the railroad-gear mechanism, which is well 5 known in the art. Thecrank-wheel D is driven by a pinion I, the bent pulley for which isindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The printing-cylinder K is mounted in the usual boxes L and is providedwith a gear 10-,

which engages a rack 11 on the bed. The boxes L are held to slide instandards M,

which rise from the frame A. Depending from the sliding boxes L are apair of rods 12, which are connected by cross-bars 13, which slide inways in the standards. These crossbars receive the lower members 14 of atoggle, the upper members l5 of which are journaled in the standards.The toggles 14 and 15 are made and broken bya rod 23, which is connectedto arocking lever 20, which is pivoted in the frame of the machine. Theupper end of the rocking lever carries a bowl or stud which engages acam-groove 31 in a camwheel 32, which is mounted on a shaft R, whichshaft also serves to carry the camwheel I).

The construction above described constitutes an ordinary form of raisingand lowering mechanism, by which it is obvious that the cylinder will beraised and lowered once for each revolution of the gearD and thereforefor each complete reciprocation of the bed.

Suitably mounted in the frame is a counter-shaft N. (Indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 1.) This counter-shaft has a pinion D on its inner endwhich engages with a gear D on the crank-wheel D. On its outer end thiscounter-shaft is provided with a pinion 41, this pinion being the firstof an auxiliary train of gearing the purpose and function of which is torotate the cylinder when it is not driven by the bed. The pinion 41meshes with an intermediate 42,which in turn meshes with a gear 43,carried on a stud 44, which is supported on a slide 18, which slide isconnected to the rods 12 of the raising and lowering mechanism. Sincethe gear 43 is directly connected through the train described with thegear D on the crank-wheel D, it is obvious that it will revolvecontinuously and at a constant speed, since the crank-wheel of course ismoving at a constant speed. The gear 43 is constantly in mesh with agear 45, which is loosely mounted 011 a hub 46, which is connected tothe cylinder-shaft I This hub 46 has connected to it a disk 47, thisdisk being herein shown as in one piece with the hub. The disk 47 isprovided with a series of notches 48, located in its periphery, which inthe machine shown are four in number. The gear 45 carries a series oftwo-armed levers 49 49', the said arms being pivoted to the gear in anysuitable manner, as by bolts 51. The arms 49 of the two-armed leverscarry bosses or projections 80, which at certain times engage thenotches 48 in the disk 47, these parts thus constituting a clutchmechanism. The arms preferably carry friction-wheels 52, which run onthe periphery of a disk 54, which is provided with high and low camparts 56 57. This disk 54 is secured, preferably by means of bolts 59,to the spokes of a gear 55, which is journaled and turns loosely on thehub 46, before referred to. The gear is constantly in mesh with the gear43, which has been heretofore described as mounted on the stud 44. Alsomounted on the stud 44 is a gear 58, which is secured, as

by bolts, to the gear 43. It is obvious, there fore, that the gear 58partakes of the movement of the gear 43.

As will be seen from the drawings, the gear 58 is smaller incircumference than the gear 43. The gear with which it meshes-namely,the gear 55is larger in circumference than the gear 45. It beingremembered that the gear 43 is constantly revolving because of itsconnections through the train of gearing before referred to with thegear D' on the crankwheel D, it will be understood that the gears 58 and55 are also constantly rotating, and through them the cam-disk 54,before referred to, is also constantly rotated. Owing to the differencein size of the various gears, however, the cam-disk 54 rotates at alower speed than the notched disk 47, and the gear 45, which carries thetwo-armed locking-levers before referred to, is also rotating at a lowerspeed than the said notched disk, but at a higher speed than thecam-disk. It being understood that the bed is'bein g constantlyreeiprocated at varying speeds through the operation of the crank-studand railroad-gear mechanism before described and that theprinting-cylinder, through the operation of the raising and loweringmechanism, is at times in mesh therewith and driven thereby and at othertimes out of mesh therewith and being driven by the constant-speedmechanism, consisting of the train of gears before referred to, theoperation of the various parts will be clear.

Supposing the cylinder to be in mesh with the bed and having completedthe printing operation, the raising and lowering mechanism which isdescribed in the preceding portion of this specification will beoperated to raise the cylinder,- so that its gear 10 will be disengagedfrom the rack 11 on the bed. The various parts are so timed that aboutthe time this operation takes place the notched disk 47 will be in sucha position that two of its notches 48 will be opposite the projections80 on the arms 49 of the two-armed levers before referred to, which aremounted on the rotating carrier 45. Vhen this occurs, the high parts 56of the disk 54 will engage the friction-rollers 52 onthe end of the arms49 and rock the arms, thereby causing the projections 80 on the arms 49to engage the notches 48. This movement locks the carrier 45, upon whichthe arms 49 are pivoted, and the disk 47 together, and these two partswill remain so locked as long as the friction-rollers 52, beforereferred to, remain on the high parts 56 of the cam. As the carrier orgear 45 is constantly in mesh with the constantspeed gearing heretoforereferred to and the disk 47 is secured to the cylinder-shaft, it isobvious that the cylinder, which has been moved out of driving relationwith the bed by the operation of the raising and lowering mechanism,will now be under the control of and will be driven by theconstant-speed mechanism and at an unvaryin g rate of speed.

The bed having been released from the cylinder will continue on at adecreasing speed to its point of reverse, will reverse, make its returnstroke, and again reverse, these operations being conducted at varyingspeeds by reason of the crank mechanism through which the bed is driven.The cylinder, however, will continue to move at a constant speed underthe influence of the constantspeed gearing described. When the bed hascompleted its return-stroke, has reversed, and is again nearing thepoint when the printing operation is to commence, the raisingandlowering mechanism will be operatedto lower the cylinder, so that itsgear 10 will be in position to be engaged by the rack 11 on the bed. Thegear 45, carrying the two-armed levers 49, before referred to, owing toits greater speed has by this time gained suffi ciently on the gear 48,carrying the cam-disk 54, so that the friction-roller carried by the arm49' will pass off from the high part 56 of the cam onto the low part 57,so that the twoarmed levers are free to be disengaged from the notchesinthe disk 47. As soon as the gear on the cylinder has engaged the rack onthe bed the speed of the cylinder will increase, since the speed of thebed, as will be understood, is constantly increasing because of theaction of the crank driving mechanism. This will caus e'the speed of thenotched disk 47 to increase, and the notches 48 will ride out from underthe projections 80 on the arms 4-9. The cylinder is now-entirelydisengaged from the constant-speed gearing and is free to be driven byand partake of the varying motions of the bed and to attain thatsynchronism of movement that is required of the cylinder and bed inorder to insure per fect printing. The cylinder continues to be drivenby the bed until the printing operation is completed, at which time thevarious parts will be in position so that asthe cylinder is disengagedfrom the bed it will be engaged with the constant-speed mechanism, asbefore described.

The invention is well adapted for use in connection with machines of thetwo-revolution type and in which during the printing stroke the cylinderis driven from the bed by a rack on the bed intermeshing with a gear onthe cylinder, and the engagement of the cylinder and bed is effected byraising and lowering the cylinder. Theinvention is, however, applicableto all machines in which a continuously -rotating cylinder cooperateswith a reciprocating bed. So, also, while the clutch mechanism and theconstant-speed mechanism are most efficiently arranged when they aretimed so as to take the cylinder immediately after the completion of theprinting operation or as soon thereafter as is possible, yet it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to a machine in which theyare so timed, as it is obvious that the clutch and constant-speedmechanism might be arranged to take the cylinder at anytime during thereciprocation of the bed after the completion of one printing operation,provided the cylinder be kept continuously revolving in the samedirection.

What I claim is 1. The combination with a reciprocating bed, of avariable-speed mechanism for driving it, a continuously-revolvingcylinder, means for driving it in synchronism with the bedduring a partof its stroke, a constantspeed mechanism for driving the cylinder whenit is not driven in synchronism with the bed, and a clutch embodyingrigid arms and suitable cooperating devices for connecting the cylinderto and disconnecting it from the constant-speed mechanism atsubstantially the points where the speeds of the bed and constant-speedmechanism coincide, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a reciprocating bed, of a Variable-speedmechanism for driving it, a continuouslyrevolving cylinder, means fordriving it in synchronism with the bed during a part of its stroke, aconstantspeed mechanism, a clutch between the cylinder and theconstant-speed mechanism, said clutch embodying rigid arms and suitablecooperating devices and being constructed to be released by theincreased speed of the cylinder when it is driven in synchronism withthe bed and to be reengaged when the speeds of the bed andconstant-speed mechanism become equal, substantially as described.

3. In a bed-and-cylindermachine, a powerwheel rotating at a constantspeed,mechanism whereby the bed is driven from said wheel at varyingspeeds, a continuously revolving cylinder,means whereby the cylinder isdriven in synchronism with the bed during a part of its stroke, aconstant-speed mechanism operated from the power-wheel for driving thecylinder when it is not driven in synchronism with the bed, a clutchembodying rigid arms and suitable cooperating devices for connecting thecylinder to and disconnecting it from the constant-speed mechanism, saidclutch being constructed to be released by the increased speed of thecylinder when it is driven in synchronism with the bed and to be'reengaged when the speeds of the bed and the constant-speed mechanismbecome equal, substantially as described.

4:. In a bed-and-cylinder machine, mechanism whereby the bed is drivenat varying speeds, a continuouslyrevolving cylinder,

means whereby the cylinder is driven by the IIO 5. In a bed-and-cylindermachine, mechanism whereby the bed is driven at Varying speeds, acontinuously-revo1ving cylinder, means whereby the cylinder is driven bythe bed during a part of its stroke, a constantspeed mechanism fordriving the cylinder when it is not driven by the bed, a clutch forconnecting the cylinder to and disconnecting it from the constant-speedmechanism, said clutch embodying rigid arms and suitable cooperatingdevices and being constructed to be released by the increased speed ofthe cylinder when it is not driven by the bed and to be reengaged whenthe speeds of the bed and the constant-speed mechanism become equal,substantially as described.

6. The combination with abed, of means for driving it at varying speeds,a continuouslyrevolving cylinder, means whereby the cylinder is drivenby the bed during a part of its stroke, a constant-speed mechanism fordriving the cylinder when it is not driven by the bed, raising andlowering devices for connecting the cylinder to and disconnecting itfrom the bed, a clutch for connecting the cylinder to and disconnectingit from the constant-speed mechanism, said clutch embodying rigid armsand suitable cooperating devices and operating at substantially thepoints where the speeds of the bed and the constantspeed mechanismcoincide, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a bed, of a powerwheel running at a constantspeed,mechanism whereby the bed is driven from said wheel at varyingspeeds, a continuously-revolving cylinder, means whereby the cylinder isdriven bythe bed during a part of its stroke, a constant-speed mechanismoperated from the power-wheel for driving'the cylinder when it is notdriven by the bed, a clutch for connecting the cylinder to anddisconnecting it from the constant-speed mechanism, said clutchembodying rigid arms and suitable cooperating devices and operating atsubstantially the points where the speeds of the bed and theconstant-speed mechanism coincide, and raising and lowering deviceswhereby the cylinder is connected to and disconnected from the bed,substantially as described.

8. The combination with a bed, of mechanism whereby it is driven atvarying speeds, a contin nously-revolvin g cylinder, a gear on thecylinder, a rack on the bed, raising and lowering devices whereby thecylinder and bed are connected and disconnected at suitable times, aconstant-speed mechanism, and a suitable clutch mechanism for connectingthe cylinder to and disconnecting itfrom the constant-speed mechanism,said clutch mechanism embodying rigid arms and suitable cocperatingdevices and operating at substantially the points where the speeds ofthe bed and the constant-speed mechanism coincide, substantially asdescribed.

9. The combination with a bed, of a powerwheel rotating at a constantspeed, a crank mechanism operated from the wheel for driving the bed, acontinuously-revolving cylinder, mechanism whereby the cylinder isdriven from the bed during a part of its stroke, gearing operated fromthe power-wheel at a constant speed for driving the cylinder when it isnot driven by the bed, a clutch mechanism embodying rigid arms andsuitable cooperating devices for connecting the cylinder to anddisconnecting it from said gearing and operating at substantially thepoints where the speeds of the bed and the gearing coincide,substantially as described.

10. The combination with a continuously rotating cylinder running atvarying speeds, of a constant-speed mechanism, and a clutch mechanismembodying a disk having a plurality of notches and rigid cooperatingarms between the cylinder and the constant-speed mechanism forconnecting the cylinder to and disconnecting it from the constant-speedmechanism, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a continuouslyrotating cylinder running atvarying speeds, of a constant-speed mechanism, and a clutch mechanismembodying a notched disk and rigid cooperating arms between the cylinderand the constant-speed mechanism, and a cam-disk for operating the rigidarms located alongside the notched disk, substantially as described.

12. The combination with a bed, of means for reciprocating it at varyingspeeds, a continuously-revolving cylinder, means whereby the cylinder isdriven by the bed during a part of its stroke, a constant-speedmechanism for driving the cylinder when it is not driven by the bed, anotched disk and rigid arms cooperating therewith, one of these ele-'ments being connected to the constant-speed mechanism and the other tothe cylinder, and means whereby said rigid arms are connected to anddisconnected from the notched disk, substantially as described.

13. The combination with abed, of means for reciprocating it at varyingspeeds,'a continuously-revolving cylinder, means for driving it from thebed during a part of its stroke, a constant-speed mechanism, a clutchmechanism between the constant-speed mechanism and the cylinderconsisting of a notched disk and cooperating rigid arms, and meansoperated from the constant-speed mechanism to cause the arms to beconnected to and permit them to be disengaged from the notched disk,substantially as described.

14. The combination with a bed, of means for reciprocating it at varyingspeeds, a continuously-rotating cylinder,meansfordriving it from the bedduring a part of its stroke, a constant-speed mechanism for driving thecylinder when it is not driven by the bed, a notched disk and rigidcooperating arms, one of these parts being connected to the cylinder andthe other to the constant-speed mechanscribed.

15. The combination with a shaft, of a cylinder carried thereby, meansfor rotating the cylinder at times at varying speeds, a constant-speedmechanism for rotating the cylinder when it is not under the control ofthe varying-speed mechanism, a clutch mechanism embodying rigid armswith suitable cooperating devices supported on the shaft, a

cam-disk supported on the shaft and operating to connect the rigid armsto hold them in engagement with, and permit them to be disengaged fromthe cooperating devices, substantially as described.

16. The combination with a shaft, a cylinder mounted thereon, means fordriving it at times at varying speeds, a notched disk rigidly connectedto the cylinder-shaft, a rotating carrier, a series of pivoted two-armedlevers supported on the carrier, one of the'arms of each of said leversbeing constructed to at times engage the notched disk, a cam-disklocated alongside the notched disk and engaging one of the arms of thetwo-armed 1evers, means for continuously rotating the carrier and thecam-disk at different speeds,

whereby the two-armed levers are at times caused to engage with thenotched disk and at other times are permitted to be disengagedtherefrom, substantially as described.

17. The combination with a. reciprocating bed carryinga rack, of avariable-speed mechanism for driving it, a cylinder having a gearthereon, raising and lowering mechanism whereby the gear on the cylinderis caused to engage with and be disengaged from the rack, a notched diskon the shaft of the cylinder, a carrier located alongside the notcheddisk, a series of two-armed levers pivoted to the carrier, one of thearms of each of said levers being constructed to engage-at times thenotched disk, a cam-disk located alongside the notohed side andoperating upon the other arms of the pivoted levers, and means forrotating the carrier and the cam-disk at different speeds, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

LUTHER C. OROWELL,

Witnesses:

JAMES Q. RICE, T. F. KEHOE.

